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UV sterelizer or Diatom filter

4K views 29 replies 12 participants last post by  Georgiadawgger 
#1 ·
Hello,

I just want someone's opinion on which one would be better to get the UV sterelizer, or the diatom filter. I have been reading around and both of these seem to do the same thing. The advantage of the diatom filter seems to be that it can filter out small particles as well as bacteria just like the UV strelizer. Down side is more maintenance. Can you guys suggest which one might be a better solution for mild algae outbreaks? Are these doing pretty much the same thing or did I misunderstood the descriptions.

Please help me out.
 
#3 ·
Any good things to say about the diatom, or UV sterelizers? Are they wase of money? For some reason I seem to be leaning towards the diatom filer because it remove small particles as well. Any suggestions?
 
#4 ·
If you want to polish the water and remove particulate matter, use a diatom filter. If you want to sterilize the water to combat or prevent fish disease and unwanted microorganisms, use the UV unit.

As for green water control, either will work, neither is required, and both remove things that are beneficial to plant life.
 
#5 ·
well, the diatom filter will only be good for use when needed but its not something you want to use everyday. the uv sterilizer can be on for 24 hours of the day but i hear that it can deplete a good amount of iron in your water but im not sure about that. the uv sterilizer might not do the best job to clean all the particulate matter, but it is good for free floating parasites and free floating algae. i say get both. then you will have the best of both worlds. hope this helps! good luck!
 
#6 ·
gbhil said:
As for green water control, either will work, neither is required, and both remove things that are beneficial to plant life.
I need help understanding this. How does a UV remove and what does a diatom filter remove that is beneficial to plant life?....DC
 
#7 ·
UV light is known to change iron in a way that makes it unusable by plants. It also degrades chemicals in Flourish and Flourish Excel, according to Seachem. It also will kill beneficial bacteria that are free floating, though this is not as big an issue in a planted tank.

Diatom filters remove the very fine particulates of organic matter that help maintain a healthy substrate for plants that feed via their roots.
 
#8 ·
I use ozone an ozone generator on my hot tub and a diatomic filter on my aquarium. Ozone keeps the water nice in steril in the tub, which is what i want - I rarely every use other chemicials in it. The diatomic filter in my aquarium will make the water very clear for a short period of time. I sometimes like to run overnight after a waterchange (which stirs up everthing), or like last night before a party at the house.

One thing I have noticed, that tank murders shirmp at an alarming rate. I have no clue if it is because of ei, too much co2, or something else (microscopic diatomatious earth powder in the tank - I am using a low grade of powder, which per friends that are organic producers say has way to small of partical size to be safe to use in a garden or on pets). If I invest in amano shirmp again, I will probably hold off using the diatomic filter till I get some better powder - especially since the garden/pet grade I can get is roughtly the same price). Just wish I did not have 10lbs (years and years supply at the rate I use it) of the cheep stuff laying arround.

On other hand, I don't always trust neo hippies, and the stuff about partical size might be hogwash.
 
#9 ·
I have a Vortex XL diatom filter. This thing works miracles...I run it just about every weekend during maintenance. It requires alot of work to use it but its well worth it IMO.

My tanks are deep...65 & 90. My water is crystal clear.

I would not use a UV filter. Maybe in a SW tank or in a well water filtration system after the RO or holding tank.
 
#10 ·
Never used a diatom filter so i cannot comment on that. I do have a 9W turbo twist that I ordered after my greenwater outbreak and I love it. It cleaned up the greenwater in a few days and the tank has been crystal clear ever since. I used to let it run 24/7, but in case there is any truth to breaking down the iron, I now only run it after water changes.

Only drawback was that I needed another filter to power it, but now with 2 filters in the tank I have zero particulates floating around. YMMV
 
#12 ·
Just a side note, personally I find that just changing my filters floss regularly keeps visible particulates in check (will not help with cloudy water), that said, when I had clowdy water, the diatomic only would help while it was running, and for about a day afterwards - then it was back.
 
#13 ·
gbhil said:
UV light is known to change iron in a way that makes it unusable by plants. It also degrades chemicals in Flourish and Flourish Excel, according to Seachem. It also will kill beneficial bacteria that are free floating, though this is not as big an issue in a planted tank...
But you have not told me how a UV will remove something, change its state maybe, but how does it remove something? Or did mean something else when you wrote "both remove things"?

gbhil said:
Diatom filters remove the very fine particulates of organic matter that help maintain a healthy substrate for plants that feed via their roots..
Hmmm, since we are allowed to disagree here, I'm not buying that. How is a free floating particulate beneficial to the substrate? If it is not free floating, how does the Diatom capture it? I would rather have the free floating particulates removed along with the nasty stuff you cannot see....DC

IMO, and having used both, I would say they each have their benefits and are worthy investments. My Vortex Freedom Filter works great polishing the water and vaccing the substrate. Although my Turbo Twist is rarely used, when needed it performs....DC
 
#14 ·
That's a great point about the floss. I'm using an Eheim 2026 and the white pad on top seems to kind of shrivel up over the recommended maintenance period. It has to be contributing to the goodies floating around the tank. I'm a bit hesitant to pile a bunch of floss in there with it as I'm concerned about cutting down the flow and straining the motor. I'll bet it sure would polish the water though! I'd say if you have a filter that can accept more floss it would have to help with the particulates.
 
#15 ·
DC... UVS removes particles by nuking them. Remove = kill, which clears up the water and practically gets us the same result as with a diatom filter. If we are talking about algae. Not sure how a UVS would remove particles that are stirred up by water changes... unless they cause a slight bacteria bloom which is killed = removed.

Both work well for their special purposes, and neither is required for a well functioning tank. If you have problems with particles floating around, reduce big poopers, improve mechanical filtration, increase water changes, reduce feeding, maybe vaccuum the substrate surface a few weeks. No real need for a diatom filter, although, like I said, it will do a quick job for water clarity.
 
#16 ·
DiabloCanine said:
But you have not told me how a UV will remove something, change its state maybe, but how does it remove something? Or did mean something else when you wrote "both remove things"?
Main Entry: re·move
Pronunciation: ri-'müv
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French removoir, from Latin removEre, from re- + movEre to move
1 a : to change the location, position, station, or residence of <remove soldiers to the front> b : to transfer (a legal proceeding) from one court to another
2 : to move by lifting, pushing aside, or taking away or off <remove your hat>
3 : to dismiss from office
4 : to eliminate
Changing the chemical state of substances in a manner that makes them unusable to the target(s) they were originally added for effectively eliminates (removes) them.

DiabloCanine said:
Hmmm, since we are allowed to disagree here, I'm not buying that. How is a free floating particulate beneficial to the substrate? If it is not free floating, how does the Diatom capture it? I would rather have the free floating particulates removed along with the nasty stuff you cannot see....DC
A free floating particle cannot possibly stay in a state of perpetual motion. When the particle is blown into a calmer area by the tank flow, it will sink towards the bottom. The big, unprocessed chunks of organic matter that always seem to be sitting on the bottom can not work their way into the substrate until they are broken into tiny pieces. I don't think anyone who grows crypts, swords, or any other rosette plants will argue the value of a fertile substrate.

DiabloCanine said:
IMO, and having used both, I would say they each have their benefits and are worthy investments. My Vortex Freedom Filter works great polishing the water and vaccing the substrate. Although my Turbo Twist is rarely used, when needed it performs....DC
I also have both. they do have their uses, but IMO neither is required, and the money could be wisely spent elsewhere.
 
#17 ·
I have a nice sand substrait (blast sand or pool filter sand - from lfs, fairly large particals). While I would not do it again, it has proved to me that if you adequately fert the column, it will be enough - my tank is currently talken over by an amazon sword that currently has about 6 runners shouting out the top of the tank. (I was selling the emerged babies, but like the looks of the emergent ones.

My sword took a while to start off, but that was due to problems with my ei mixture. To speed things up, I did enject some of the ei mix in the sand 4 months ago (once a week for 2-3 weeks).
 
#18 ·
I maintained reef tanks for years. I would not have a tank without a trusty diatom filter. I used it once a week while I changed the water. You can also use the return to blast in between the plants without disturbing their roots. You can get the hot Mag for around forty nine bucks online.:hihi:

Keith,
 
#21 ·
Wow, looks like I got a science and english lesson! Now look up Recalcitrant!....DC
 
#22 ·
Evergreen said:
I maintained reef tanks for years. I would not have a tank without a trusty diatom filter. I used it once a week while I changed the water. You can also use the return to blast in between the plants without disturbing their roots. You can get the hot Mag for around forty nine bucks online.:hihi:

Keith,

This is odd. Ive been researching SW reef tanks because I want one in the future. I've actually heard ur supposed to remove the partical filter after the tank is established. Do you have a refugium?

FW planted tanks...I dont buy the whole partical thing....unless ur tank is filled with venus flytrap or something....but SW reef that floating partical issue seems a bit more valid.
 
#23 ·
Hair algae likes dead stuff? I have a mild hair algae/staghorn outbreak would the diatom help? I though these were helping on green water only.
 
#24 ·
Did you ever see that OXY clean commercial where the guy dumps the product into the red liquid and it goes clear?

I swear this is how the diatom filter works if you know how to hook it up and use it right. Just dumping in the DE and charging the filter you get an idea of how good of a mechanical filter it really is.

I really wish I took before/after pics of my algae swamp. Hopefully it wont be that bad again tho!
 
#25 ·
Brilliant said:
This is odd. Ive been researching SW reef tanks because I want one in the future. I've actually heard ur supposed to remove the partical filter after the tank is established. Do you have a refugium?

FW planted tanks...I dont buy the whole partical thing....unless ur tank is filled with venus flytrap or something....but SW reef that floating partical issue seems a bit more valid.
Well, you only would want to use it on a well established tank on a weekly basis. Otherwise your filter feeders will suffer. Once the organics reach a point, tank is out of balance, and algae returns. I do not have any reef tank at the time, But all mine were filtered only by live rock and protein skimmer.
But, I would take the advice of current reefers, its been ten years.
 
#26 ·
Hair algae likes dead stuff? I have a mild hair algae/staghorn outbreak would the diatom help? I though these were helping on green water only

Have you ever noticed that hair algae seems to start in dead zones? Areas with a lot of detritus. I would think that when you get in there to start cleaning the algae off, you would want to have the filter running to help remove detritus and algae from the water column. Then remove diatom, and clean main canister.

Keith,
 
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